Albany, N.Y.-Area Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement

Carol Bruno was treasurer of New York’s largest state and local government workers union.Unfortunately, she used her position to steal from the union treasury.On Wednesday, January 7, Bruno, 53, an administrative assistant with the state Department of Health, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Albany to one count of embezzling from Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Region IV, also known as Local 1000 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.A grand jury had indicted her this past October.

According to court documents, Bruno, beginning in March 2004 and continuing for about two years, embezzled approximately $40,000 from CSEA accounts until certain persons within her union discovered the thefts and alerted law enforcement authorities.The indictment indicated thefts of slightly over $16,000.Bruno was expelled from both her union and government positions in July 2007.She faces probation or a six-to-12-month prison sentence.Her lawyer, Terence Kindlon, told the court that his client is prepared to make restitution.(Associated Press, 1/08/09; Albany Times-Union, 1/8/09).

Missouri Local Secretary-Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Thefts

For more than four years, Michael St. John had used his union position to enrich himself.Then reality caught up.On Monday, January 5, St. John, secretary-treasurer of Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union Local 30 in Pevely, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling around $24,000 in union funds.Prosecutors charged that during the period October 2003-December 2007 he wrote union checks to himself and used the money to pay for personal expenses.A Labor Department investigation uncovered the thefts.St. John faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000 at his sentencing in March.Pevely is located in JeffersonCounty, south of St. Louis.(States News Service, 1/5/09).